BZ to TAR Converter

Convert BZ files to TAR online, for free, with nothing to install.

To convert BZ to TAR, select or drop your .bz file above, check that TAR is chosen as the output, and click Convert. Files up to 200 MB are converted right in your browser, so they never leave your device.

What is a BZ file?

BZ – bzip compressed file. BZ is a single file compressed with bzip, the short-lived predecessor of bzip2. Few programs still create it.

BZ Converter →

What is a TAR file?

TAR – Tape archive. TAR bundles files and folders into one archive without compressing them, keeping Unix permissions and timestamps. It is usually paired with a compressor such as gzip or xz.

TAR Converter →

How to convert BZ to TAR

  1. Click Select File, or drop your .bz files anywhere on this page. You can add several at once.
  2. Check that TAR is chosen as the output format. On this page it is picked for you.
  3. Click Convert. When a file has to go to our server, the button says Upload and convert instead.
  4. Click Download next to each file when it's done.

BZ vs TAR: how they compare

BZTAR
TypeCompressed single fileArchive
HoldsOne fileMany files and folders
CompressionBurrows–Wheeler with arithmetic codingNone
EncryptionNoneNone
Created byJulian Seward, 1996Unix, 1979
Best forOpening old filesBundling folders on Linux and macOS

Good to know

  • a BZ file holds a single compressed file, so the result is a TAR archive with that one file in it.
  • TAR doesn't compress, so the TAR is usually bigger than the BZ it came from. Pick TAR.GZ or TAR.XZ for a smaller file.
  • BZ is an old format that today's computers rarely open by themselves. TAR files are much easier to open, share and keep.
  • Symbolic links, hard links and special files (such as devices) are left out of the result for safety; the page tells you when it does this.

Frequently asked questions

Is converting BZ to TAR free?

Yes. Everyone gets 25 free credits a day, with no account needed. Conversions on our server use one credit per started minute of work, so most cost a single credit. Credits reset at midnight UTC.

Are my BZ files uploaded anywhere?

Files up to 200 MB never leave your device: ConvertKitty runs 7-Zip inside your browser. Only larger files, or formats your browser cannot handle, are sent to our server, over an encrypted connection, and deleted 72 hours after the conversion. The button says "Upload and convert" whenever that happens.

How large can the BZ file be?

Files up to 200 MB are converted right in your browser. Larger files, up to 1 GB, are converted on our server.

Will the folders inside my BZ be kept?

a BZ file holds just one file, so there are no folders to keep: the TAR will contain that one file.

Can I convert several BZ files at once?

Yes. Add as many files as you like; they are converted one after another, and each one gets its own Download button.

Convert BZ to other formats

Convert other files to TAR

Just need the files inside?

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